


Mixed Feelings

by Koshii



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Coming Out, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Jealousy, M/M, Mentioned Mileven, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, bi!mike, gay!will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2019-01-30 03:16:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12645048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koshii/pseuds/Koshii
Summary: Will's told people about his issues, but he's kept one to himself, one about his feelings for his best friend, Mike Wheeler.





	1. Envious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will was in love with Mike, but it was hard for him to figure out his feelings and it got worse once the Snowball happened and he realized Mike was in love with someone else.

It had seemed like almost an eternity passed since the strange occurrences in Hawkins, but it was only a few months. Things were back to normal, for the most part. Will Byers was still traumatized, but he was able to get help from others, so he was slowly improving. He would tell his therapists, or brother, about everything, mostly everything that is. There was still something that was on his mind that he couldn’t quite say, it was so well kept that not even his closest friends, Dustin, Lucas, Mike, or Eleven, knew about. He was in love. In love with Mike, Mike Wheeler.

He never told anyone since most people were pretty touchy about the topic of ‘homosexuality’, and no one was really a fan of it. He knew his friends would accept him, but he was still scared as hell to say anything, especially to Mike.

His feelings only got more complex and worse for Will after the Snowball. A girl, one that he wasn’t entirely familiar with, asked him to dance, so he did. It was awkward, sure, and he never really looked at the girl. Perhaps occasional smiles or glances, but his eyes were glued onto Mike. 

His heart felt heavy when Eleven walked in, he was jealous of her. It wasn’t that bad before then, but once she danced with Mike and even kissed him, his internal flames of jealousy were only fed and roared throughout his body. His hands were holding on to the girl’s, which clenched when he watched the other two kiss. 

“Hey, Zombie Boy, you alright there?” The girl looked down at Will with a confused look. He shot his head up, and even though he wasn’t that much shorter, he felt like he was slowly sinking into the ground. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” He was obviously lying, but there was nothing he could really do about it. He let go of the girl, apologizing and excusing himself.

He dragged himself over to the seats by the entrance, watching everyone else dance. 

Why did everything seem to always seem to go wrong for him? Everything was so inconvenient for him and he never bothered to try and fix it, but he felt his chances with Mike slowly crumbling, and that was something he surely had to fix. 

He rested his elbows on his legs and brought his hands up to his face. He groaned, this is just really stupid of me, he thought. He was really just obsessing over nothing and only his feelings were getting in his way. He’d have to get over it at some point. 

“Will?” That voice was familiar. He peeked up out of his hands, spotting Dustin, grinning. His friend’s smile was always contagious. Dustin sat next to him, leaning up against the back of the chair and examining Will. “What happened? Girl left you? That’s fine, man. At least someone even asked you to dance.”

Will snorted, “No, I-I uhm, left the girl.” 

Dustin looked completely dumbfounded for a second, “Dude, what the hell?” He playfully smacked Will’s arm, “You’re pretty ungrateful.”

It’s true, Will was ungrateful. Here he was, grudging over the fact that his best friend was in love with someone they actually needed and deserved. He should be grateful that he was even able to survive that entire living hell that just happened.

“Seriously, Will, what’s up? Did you leave her because she insulted you or something? Or is it something else? You can tell me.” Dustin put on that cheerful and meaningful smile that he always had. 

Will leaned back, letting his hands fall onto his lap. He sighed, “I know- it’s just…hard to explain.” He took a small glance at Mike and El again before staring at the ceiling blankly. 

“Then just take your time, and don’t worry, we won’t judge.” Dustin stood up, “I’m gonna go get some snacks and sit with Nancy, good luck.” He held out a thumbs up before walking off.

Will thanked him and got up. He dusted himself up and closed his eyes, breathing for a quick second. 

“Hey, Will-“ Mike stood in front of Will, smiling, but obviously tired. Will almost jumped, “Mike-!” For whatever reason, he felt the urge to wrap his arms around him, as if he hasn’t seen his best friend for a year. “Did I startle you? Sorry. I was just taking a quick break from dancing, I told El I was getting a drink, but really, I just wanted to check up on you. How are you doing? Oh—where is that girl?”

Will’s heart thumped, the thought of being cared for by Mike felt…oddly soothing. He cleared his throat, feeling a small bit of heat rising to his cheeks, “I-I…I guess I can’t lie. I just don’t…feel that good…” He wasn’t entirely lying, he was just saying the half-truth. 

Will almost burst when he suddenly felt a hand on his forehead. He stared hard down at the floor, the back of Mike’s hand lightly touching his head. “You feel…unusually warm. Maybe we can go home? I’m sure El won’t mind, she seemed pretty tired too. Plus, I don’t want you feeling sick here. You need rest.” Mike had obvious determination in his voice. His hand went back down to his side, leaving Will slightly sad, it was comfortable while it lasted.

“S-sure…I…can wait here…” Will shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling them become pretty clammy. 

“Alright, just wait for me.” Mike left, going back into the crowd, probably returning to Eleven.

The fact that Mike cared that much was heart-warming, he was honestly just the best friend Will could have. If only they could be something more than that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, thank you for reading, this is my first post on this site! I hope to improve on my writing in the future. Apologies if this is messy or out of character, Will is a bit hard to portray since we can't see too much of his true and normal personality. If there is something you would like to point out, go right ahead. The length of each chapter may differ as well, just depends on how much confidence I have the day I write it. I've already finished writing the first and second chapters and as for the third one, I need to fix it. Hopefully I'll be able to post it soon. Hope you enjoy this! :)


	2. A Private Discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will had to tell someone eventually.

Not too long after the Snowball, Will’s complicated feelings for Mike never seemed to get better. At all. Being around his best friend just made him want to run and hide, he really just didn’t know how to handle it. And since he can’t just run while he's with everyone, he runs to his room and hides there, crying slightly and breathing heavily. He tries to breathe, calm himself down, but none of it never seems to work. 

After he returned home from school and a few minutes of breaking down alone, Will hears a knock on his bedroom door, causing him to clasp his hand over his mouth and suck in a sharp breath. Was Jonathan home? He did forget to check if anyone was home, so there’s one slip up, plus he wasn’t even try to muffle his crying.

“Are you in there, Will?” His brother’s voice was worried, and that makes sense, considering that Jonathan has always been looking out for him. 

“Y-yup!” Will attempted to sound enthusiastic, but quick recoveries were difficult.

“Ok…” There was a pause. “Can I come in?” Will practically jumped off the bed, fixing his blankets and pillows, wiping his face, and adjusting anything he kicked in his room, silently and quickly. “Feel free to!” 

The door creaked open, Jonathan peeking inside and examining the room before stepping in and closing the door behind him, “You alright Will?” 

Will sat on his bed, attempting to keep his composure. He nodded. “You sure? I thought I heard crying and it sounded like you.” Jonathan plopped down next to him and put his hand over Will’s, trying to hold it. 

Will didn’t stop him, “I wasn’t crying.” He again attempted to stay calm, but felt his mask very slowly chipping off. 

“You don’t have anything to hide, Will. If you want to talk to me about something, please tell me. It’s not good to bottle it up.” Jonathan fumbled around with Will’s hand. “I-I’m fine…seriously…” Will flinched, becoming slightly defensive.

“Fine, then can you at least answer another question for me, then?”

“Ok…?”

“Do you like Mike?” 

Will’s entire face went pink and he pulled his hands back into his lap and stared down at them, “W-what makes you say that?”

“Well…you seem to act different around Mike. You seem nervous, like you want to say something, but you can’t. You aren’t like this around the others, so I assume something is up. Is my assumption wrong? Do you not see Mike in a certain way?” Jonathan put one hand on Will’s back, drawing circles. 

“I…” Will gulped, “Can you keep this a secret between us?” 

Jonathan grinned, “Of course. I promise I won’t tell anyone else.” 

Will hesitated before he began to speak, “I like him.” 

“So I was right,” Jonathan said, “do you mind telling me why? Don’t get me wrong—there’s nothing wrong about liking a guy, we’re all different. I will accept and love you no matter what.” He reassured.

Will let out a small sigh of relief, “Thanks…and…I guess I just like him since he’s so caring, nice, and always full of life. He always looks out for his friends, which is something I greatly admire, and when we do campaigns, he’s so energetic and I wouldn’t want anyone else as the game-master…” His hands shuffle between his legs, nervous yet relaxed. He’s never told anyone this before, and it feels quite nice to let it out to someone.  
“I’m glad he can make you happy. Is there anything else about him that I should probably know?” Jonathan nudged Will, his hand no longer rubbing his back, now just resting on the bed beside him.

Will was jealous. Could he really admit that? It was embarrassing even realizing that he was like this. But this was Jonathan, his trusted brother, he would surely understand. He’s had his conflicts with Nancy and Steve. 

Will took a deep breath, “I’m...jealous. Of Eleven.”

Jonathan looked surprised, but only for a second. He thought about it for a moment, “That girl from the lab? Is it because she has special abilities? Do you feel lesser than her because of that?” 

He shook his head, “No…it’s because Mike loves her.” Jonathan internally face-palmed himself, “Right, we’re talking about Mike. Sorry. But—why do you think that? Did you hear or see him confess?” 

Does a kiss count as a confession? It seems like one. “He hasn’t said any of that, he’s just kissed her. I was just jealous that I couldn’t be the one to kiss Mike,” Will’s hands folded, moving around frequently, “I know, it sounds stupid-“

Jonathan firmly put his hand over his brother’s hands, “It’s not stupid. It’s fine to be jealous. You know how I was about Nancy. I can help you get over it, if you want. Or maybe muster up the courage to tell Mike before it’s too late?”

Before it’s too late…The thought of losing Mike, simply to Eleven, made Will feel his stomach twist, “Maybe…” Will looked down at their hands, then leaned onto his brother’s shoulder, “Thanks, Jonathan…for talking to me.”

Jonathan smiled, “I’m glad I could talk to you about this. Thank you for opening up to me, if you want to talk about this again, let me know. And don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get him right away.” Will looked at Jonathan as he winked. He stood up, letting go of Will’s hands, and ruffled his hair a bit. 

“If you want to go see Mike right now, you can. I’ll tell Mom.” Jonathan moved towards the door, opening it.

“I think I will.” 

Will got up, wiping his face with his sleeve. “Alright then, don’t go too crazy over him while you’re there.” Jonathan joked. Will grunted, only to laugh soon after, “Ok, ok.” 

“See you, Will. Remember that I’m here for you.” Jonathan closed the door and walked into his own room.

Will stood there, blinking before getting his walkie-talkie, he turned it on, “Mike? Are you there? Over.” 

He waited a bit, energetic and determined, waiting for the voice of Mike, “Yeah, I’m here. What’s up? Over.” The corners of Will’s mouth curved up, “Can I come over today? Over.” 

“Totally! You can sleep here if you want, too. Over.”

“Alright—I’ll just get my bag and head over there. Over and out.” 

Will turned his walkie-talkie off, stuffing it into his backpack, already containing a majority of his belongings by the end of his bed. 

He was just going to hang out, nothing more, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me being self-indulgent may be the reason why Will seems out of character, oh well. Also, I don't really know how the next chapter will go, either it will be fluff or it will be angst and things just get worse.


	3. Nervous Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will goes to Mike's house and he seems to be really nervous. It doesn't take much for Mike to notice this.

After some time thinking, Will finally put an extra blanket into his bag and zipped it up. As he stood up and slung the straps onto his shoulders, he heard a light knock behind him. 

Jonathan stood there, door open, and leaning his side on the wall, “Are you staying there for the night?” 

Will glanced to the side at the ground, “I…was hoping I could…” Jonathan stood straight, “It’s fine if you are, I’ll tell Mom.” He walked over to Will and smiled down at him, “Speaking of Mom, I still have to drive you. We’re not sure if it’s safe or not still.” 

His younger brother sighed, but smiled, “I know, can we just go now?” He seemed excited and desperate, but also uncertain at the same time. 

Jonathan nodded, “Yeah, let’s go.” He put his hand behind Will and walked him over to the car, getting in and starting up the engine. As they drove there, he turned on the radio. One of their favorite songs, ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go’ by The Clash began to play. The two smiled and began singing along to it. Jonathan took a quick look at the rear view mirror as they did, seeing Will all happy and energetic. If his brother was happy, he was too, and he knows he would always have to be there for him.

They pulled up to the front of the Wheeler’s, Will unbuckled and started to open the door, “Hey, don’t sleep to late, alright?” Jonathan reminded him.

Will looked back at his brother and smiled, “I know.” He got out and closed the door behind him. Waving to his brother then approaching the front door. He knocked, jumpy and hoping for a quick response. 

He heard the car drive off and started to look around, still waiting. He felt a chill, it was still a bit cold outside, and his black jacket, a gift from Jonathan, wasn’t that warm.

“Will!” He spun his head towards the door, seeing Mike standing there in his pajamas, a brown, Star Wars-themed shirt along with long black pants. It wasn’t a bad look, but when did Mike not look good in something? 

“Hi.” Will greeted simply. He stepped inside, following Mike as he beckoned for him to follow him to the basement. He closed the door behind him and observed around the house, no one was home. Well, maybe besides Nancy who was most likely upstairs due to the faint sound of music playing.

They slowly crept into the basement, Will catching a glimpse of Eleven’s fort. It’s still up after all this time. They move to the couch and sit down, Will putting his bag non his left side and taking out his crayons while Mike sat to his right.

Mike turned to him, holding a sheet of paper, “So, what are you planning on drawing?” He questioned as Will took the paper and placed it on a book that sat nearby them. He didn’t feel like using a table, and this would work for now. He began to draw lines, curved and straight, “Our characters—from the campaigns.” 

While Will continued to draw, Mike watched silently and curiously. He always enjoyed spectating his friend, it was nice. 

Will’s mind started to drift off, thinking back to what him and Jonathan recently discussed. His heart began to beat faster the more he came to realization. He was with the boy he liked—and sitting right next to him. Sure, it didn’t seem like much, but after really recognizing his feelings, he felt more nervous. 

His hand slipped, making him lose grip of his crayon and letting it fall to the ground. Mike caught it, and handed it back to Will, “You alright?”

Will slowly looked at him, “Y-yeah…” He took the crayon back and resumed his drawing. Now that he looked at it…it was…off. He’d been thinking too much. And it was hard not to. 

He took a glance at the small fort that Mike would sometimes sit in. Memories of Mike with Eleven flashed in his mind, specifically the time they kissed at the Snowball, causing him to squeeze the crayon in his hand. The lines he drew became thicker as he pressed down with more force. He reminds himself, he shouldn’t be so jealous, calm down. 

He snapped out of it when Mike grabbed his wrist, “Will, you don’t seem good. Come on, what’s going on? You know you can tell me anything.” That’s the thing, Mike was always worried about him, and yes, it was nice of him, but Will wasn’t a huge fan of it. And he couldn’t just tell Mike anything, but he could still be vague about it.

“There’s…” Will sighed, putting his hand and the drawing down onto his lap, “I’ve just…well…there’s someone I like. But over time, my feelings for them have become more and more complicated. I don’t really know how to deal with this sort of thing.” Mike looked at him, nodding and listening closely. Will felt his cheeks warm up, it was Mike he was talking about here, “It’s just been on my mind and it’s sort of stressing me out.”

Mike waits until Will is silent before giving his input, “I know where you’re coming from,” He smiled, “It was the same for me with El. I didn’t really know how to feel about her and things got worse once my attachment to her grew and she disappeared. It bothered me for a long time, that is, until she came back.”

Will tried to grin back, but the topic of Eleven just really didn’t help with the situation. His smile was obviously transparent, and his expression was stressed. His hands fidgeted in his lap and the corners of his mouth twitched. He basically started to block out Mike’s words since he wasn’t really giving the best advice for Will. 

Mike noticed Will’s discomfort and cut himself off, “Will?”

The other boy went back to reality, “W-what?” Mike frowned slightly, “Sorry, did you feel uncomfortable talking about that? I didn’t mean to push you to tell me, neither did I mean to rant on like that.” 

Will felt bad, his friend just wanted to help, but he was just so stubborn and envious, “No…it’s ok. It’s…my fault…”

They sat next to each other in silence for a bit, Will letting his hands rest at his sides while staring at the ground, Mike observing his features and expression. Will didn’t notice this, and just let his mind wander.

That is, until he felt a warm feeling brush over the back of his hand. Mike’s finger.

Their hands were pretty close to each other, and Mike used this as an advantage to let his pinky, very slightly, go back and forth over Will’s hand. Will gulped, still looking at the ground, and felt his ears burn up.

Mike stopped, unsure if he was being too weird, then just looked down as well. Will liked it, but didn’t know how he could get it back.

Will took a deep breath, you’re fine Will, just relax.

He placed his hand on Mike’s and looked at his friend. Mike looked back, both of them staring deep into each other’s eyes. The corners of Will’s mouth curved up, glad Mike didn’t move. The taller boy smiled back, flipping his hand so their palms were touching, and wrapped his fingers around Will’s hand.

Will looked at Mike’s shoulder, then back up at him before hesitantly resting his head against him. No one flinched, letting Will rest his shoulders and breathe a small sigh of relief and comfort. 

They continued to sit there, holding hands and just glad they had each other.

Mike was also glad Will didn’t know about his own secret. That Mike Wheeler also had feelings for Will Byers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this pretty late last night, so I decided it would be best to wait until the morning to re-read it and post it. Sorry if the last sentence on the second chapter was misleading, there won't be any smut, they're still kids. It's just soft kids being soft.


	4. A Wizard's Reward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike starts realizing some things about Will. One of them being that he was too adorable for his own good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlike the other chapters, this one will sort of be in the perspective of Mike. Probably will change back to Will's next time.

His heart was racing, being next to Will like this was amazing. For some reason, he felt like his heart was going crazier than it was when he kissed Eleven. This was a small gesture, yet he felt like he could collapse on the spot.

He liked Eleven and Will, but his feelings for Will had been strong for years. He just never really did anything since he was too afraid, scared of rejection and being shunned for being a ‘queer’. 

When he showed his affection towards Eleven, granted it was still weird, he felt slightly more comfortable since to others it looked normal. A guy liking a girl. Plus, when Eleven showed signs of liking Mike, he wasn’t as afraid of her rejecting him.

But now that Will was like this, and neither of them were being entirely shy, it was like he was soaring. It was just a huge wave of relief washing over him, now knowing that Will most likely had similar feelings and accepts Mike. Though Mike hadn’t said anything, he could tell Will wouldn’t judge him. And Mike knew that he definitely wouldn’t judge Will. 

Now that he thought about it, he certainly noticed Will’s small movements. For example, he would sometimes catch Will staring at him in class. Or while walking in the hallways their hands would brush, but it seemed like Will was intentionally trying to do that. 

Mike’s curiosity was peaked now, “Will, who do you like anyways?” The question slipped past his lips.

He felt Will’s shoulders tense, “W-what?” Will got off Mike’s shoulder and nervously looked at him.

Even if Mike had a good idea of who, he still wanted a definite answer. And now that the question was out, might as well get a response, “Who do you like?” He repeated firmly.

Will’s face turned a bright red, “I-I- it’s not- uh…” He was panicking, looking around him as if someone could get him out of this situation. Mike just stared at him, waiting for an answer, “Well?”

Will gulped as he looked back at Mike, his eyes shaking and his chest heaving. Mike was so close, it was alarming.

Mike’s eyebrows furrowed, “Will, I just want to know, I can probably help if you tell me. You know I won’t judge you.” 

It was Mike, Will liked him, but it was almost impossible to just admit right here and right now. But…maybe like Will’s mother said before, what if he didn’t have to use words?

The door to the basement clicked and opened.

Or, what if he didn’t have to do anything at all?

Mike spun his head towards the top of the stairs along with Will moving his head to see as well, “Hey, Mike, I’m going out for a bit. If Mom or Dad comes home and asks where I am, just tell them I went to the library.” Nancy quickly said before shutting the door. Luckily she didn’t bother to really ask what the two were doing.

The boys were silent. Mike just turned back to Will and sighed. Will chewed the inside of his lip and calmed down.

“Sorry…again. I don’t know what’s up with me today—I know you want help, but I can’t seem to deliver. I’m just making things worse…” Mike apologizes.

Will looked down at the unfinished drawing that was still in his lap, “It’s…ok…” He slowly picked up his crayons and paper then just tried to casually go back to drawing.

Mike didn’t look at the paper, this time he just looked at Will. He could see ambition in his eyes, and he thought that was such an adorable thing about Will, whenever he was doing something, he was usually determined. Sometimes Will would get a bit intense with coloring, hand frantically moving and small strands of hair swaying. 

Will’s hair had always seemed soft to Mike, but he never bothered to touch it, well, on purpose. Honestly, if he could, he would rest his head on Will’s head and stroke his hair. If he could.

It doesn’t take long until Will finishes his drawing, “Mike,” The freckled boy blinks and acts as if he’d been looking at the paper the whole time, “What do you think?” Will smiled, a somewhat proud look on his face. Mike saw two figures, their characters, fighting side by side. 

A smile was instantly plastered onto Mike’s face, “It’s great. You’re amazing as always,” he cleared his throat and used a somewhat dramatic voice, “of course, the wise wizard deserves a reward!” 

Will chuckles, tilting his head at Mike, “Yeah? What’s my reward?”

Mike’s cheeks are painted with a small bit of red as he uses one hand to push up Will’s bangs then lean down to place a quick kiss on his forehead. He backs away, his expression soft.

Will blinks, frozen in place before processing what just happened. His eyes widen and his face turns a faint red.

“I…let’s just go upstairs, yeah? We can uh- watch…Ghostbusters or something” Mike attempts to recover smoothly. Will shakes his head quickly, snapping back to reality for a moment, “Uh- didn’t w-we watch that already?” 

Mike shrugs, “It’s just a suggestion, something we can do.” Will thinks for a second, “Ok, sure, we can watch it.”

“Great!” Mike jumps off the couch and paces towards the stairs. “Just wait for me—I want to change first.” Will says, placing down his drawing on the couch and grabbing his clothes out of his bag. Mike nods and goes upstairs.

After a bit, Mike prepares the movie on the T.V and sits on the couch. In a minute or so, Will crashes down, right next to him. 

While they watch the movie, Mike notices that Will has been paying close attention to it, smirking. In reality, Will was just spaced out, still trying to figure out what has happened today. To top it off, Mike decides to wrap one arm around his friend, pulling him close. 

Will somehow stays still despite his internal screaming. 

Mike watches Will in amusement, seeing the blush spread over his face. He turns to the screen and just watches, continuing to hold Will.

After the movie ends, Mike stretches, “So, Will, did you still enjoy th-“ As the room went silent once the credits rolled, he could hear soft snoring. He looked at Will, leaning against him and sleeping peacefully. 

Mike swore he was too cute for him. He sighed, smiling, and wrapped his arm once again around Will, eventually falling asleep too, he was tired anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned on either uploading this earlier or tomorrow, but I was given some time to properly settle down and type this out now, so here you go! Again, I was going to make this angsty, but decided against it.


	5. His Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike's mother comes home and suspects something about Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about this all day, and eventually wrote the outline on the way home. I was pretty excited to write this.

“Mike? Where are you?” Someone called out, “Mike- oh.” His mother walked into the living room, spotting the two boys on the couch. 

His mother’s face was obviously surprised, seeing her son sitting so close to another boy, that was certainly something that wasn’t too normal for her. She keeps quiet and just grins, walking over to them and lightly tapping their shoulders, “Wake up, you two.” She whispers.

They eventually opened their eyes slowly, Mike being the first to fully adjust. He finally recognized his mother, “Oh, hi, Mom.” Will blinked, “Hi, Mrs. Wheeler…”

She made a face of slight confusion, seeing as they were still comfortable leaning on each other. Will noticed this and suddenly realized, he scooched away a bit from Mike, his side now cold and missing the warmth. 

Worry suddenly flooded his mind, how would Mike’s mother feel about this? Wouldn’t she judge them? He felt embarrassed that he even fell asleep like that. And Mike didn’t seem to care…? 

Mike, on the other hand, clears his throat quietly, “Uh- Will wanted to come here today and we decided to…watch  
Ghostbusters…and we both got really tired while watching,” He glanced at Will for a moment, “he also wanted to sleep here today, is- is that ok?” 

His mother looked at the two, mostly Will, and nodded, “Of course,” She slipped the purse off of her shoulders and held it in her hand, “I’m going to go make dinner, Will, would you like to eat with us too?” 

“Huh- oh, no, I’m fine. I’m not that- uh- hungry. Thanks for the offer though.” Will responded, rubbing one of his arms awkwardly. His stomach was feeling weird, but it was probably just his stomach turning from his train of thought.

Mike’s mother doesn’t question and just nods, walking off into the kitchen. 

Still panicking, Will grabs Mike’s hand that was laying at his side. Mike looks at Will and whispers, “You ok?” 

“Y-yeah, it’s just—comforting to do this, sorry if it’s weird…” Will just wanted to hold Mike’s hand, but he wasn’t entirely lying, holding on to Mike made him feel more calm. Mike shook his head, “I’m fine with it.” He said as he held Will’s hand.

After a bit, Mike’s mother finishes cooking and walks over silently to the kitchen. As she turns around the corner she sees the two talking casually and holding hands, Will’s hand on top. She didn’t comment and just continued, “Mike, food’s ready.” 

They both hear her and Will’s first reaction was to quickly remove his hand and place it in his lap. Mike got up, telling Will, “I’ll be back, just go sit downstairs while you wait for me.” He smiled as he walked to his mother. Will watched him and eventually made eye contact with her, gulping. She didn’t look angry, just a bit suspicious.

Will looks away, getting up and heading downstairs. He’ll just draw for the time being.

Mike sits at the table in his usual spot, hands shuffling in his lap. “Mike, where’s Nancy?” His mother asked, bringing over a few plates of food. He thinks for a second, “Oh—she went to the library.” His mother put her hands on her hips after placing down the plates, “At this time? Nancy…” She sighed, “I’m going to go get your sister.”

She walked away, going upstairs. Mike stared down at his food, waiting, until he heard the front door. His dad walked in, obviously tired. He took off his coat and walked to the table. It didn’t take long before he sat down and his wife came with Mike’s little sister. 

They all sat together, eating silently for the most part. It wasn’t normal silence though, Mike could feel some tension coming from his mom. His dad was just eating without a care, and his sister was playing around with her food a bit.

“So,” Mike’s mother turned to him as he drank from his cup of water, “How has school been?” 

“Good…nothing uh- that important…” He responded once he placed down his glass. Though they asked that question often, this time it felt odd.

His mother observed his expression which was obviously nervous, “Ok…” she continued, “Mike, do you have feelings for anyone in particular?” 

Mike coughed, “What? No…no one.” 

She smirked slightly, “Alright then.” 

Down in the basement, Will sits alone for awhile, drawing more and more. As he does, his mind is racing, still thinking about earlier. He really doesn’t want to face Mrs. Wheeler’s judgement. Just thinking about what she might say made him shiver. 

The door finally clicks open after what seems like forever, “Mi-“ Will looks at the stairs, trying to see who is coming down. To his disappointment, it’s not Mike. And it’s Mrs. Wheeler. 

His heart’s beating quickens, it couldn’t mean anything good if she was coming down here alone and staring right at Will as she did. She made her way over to the couch, Will moving over a bit before she could sit down next to him. 

Will looked down at the papers on the table in front of him, a few finished and quick drawings, sitting there. “Hi…Mrs. Wheeler…” He greeted quietly.

“Hello,” Her eyes drifted from Will to the drawings, then back to him, “You’re a very talented friend, you know.” She complimented with a smile.

Will slowly turned his head to her, a weak grin on his face, “T-thank you…” He messed around with the crayon in his hand, rolling it across his palm, back and forth. Mike’s mother could easily sense his fear, and reached out to place her hand on his, “Hey, it’s ok. I just want to ask you a few questions, that’s all.” Will nodded, trying not to shake. 

She gives Will a second to breathe before asking, “Will, are you queer?” 

He freezes. She didn’t look angry or mad, just curious. He takes a second to respond, “I-I- well- I mean- maybe? I’m not sure- I just think some people- l-like Mike…they- he…he’s nice, and he’s a great friend,” the words were spilling out of his mouth quickly as he stuttered his way through, “I’m really just g-glad I knew him…and he’s wonderful…u-uh-“ 

Mike’s mother cut him off, “Calm down, calm down. It’s ok. Breathe for a moment.” She got her answer, even if Will didn’t say a direct, ‘yes’. Knowing this, she’s obviously a bit judgmental about it since she’s not really a fan of homosexuals, but it’s Will, and she can learn to accept him. 

Will’s shaking slightly, but her hand is still on his, holding it down and trying to help him maintain himself. She finally goes on to asking, “And…you say these things about my son. Do you, by chance, like him? And not just as a friend?” 

Will already told his brother, and that was fine, but this was the mother of the boy he liked. If he said yes, would she forbid him from ever seeing Mike again? Would she despise him? Make fun of him? 

No…she’s not like his classmates. She…she wouldn’t say all of those things about him. It’s fine.

“Yes…yes I like him.” Will said, confidence in his voice, but still shaky. 

Mike’s mother nodded and moved her hand away, standing up, “I see,” Will purses his lips, waiting for any comments she might make, “well, thank you for opening up with me. I won’t tell anyone else, I promise.” And she meant it.

Will lets out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding and lets his shoulders rest, “O-ok…” He mumbled before she went up the stairs.

As she opened the door, she felt slight resistance, but when she pushed to open it again there was no struggle. She was confused, but only for a bit. She went down the hallway and back to the kitchen.

Mike stood behind the basement door, red-faced and unsure of what to think. He went in the basement, standing at the top of the stairs, and closed the door behind him. 

He heard it all. His assumption was correct, but what was he going to say now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh. The ending. So. Both Mike and I have no idea what we're going to do next chapter. I'll figure it out soon.


	6. Drawings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike comforts Will, multiple times, trying to figure out more about Will. He figures out something else too, and it was just from a drawing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you go, finally. Hope this is alright ^u^! Still just making this up as I go along, I'm trying my hardest to steer this into an 'ok' direction, but we'll see!

Mike’s mind and heart raced, Will liked him back. He had guessed so, but knowing that it was true was just so…crazy. He couldn’t believe it, someone he had liked for so long, someone he cared for deeply, Will, liked him back. He wanted to jump on Will and tell him how much he loves him, hug him and hold him close, but those thoughts were soon stopped when he heard a sniffle come from below. 

He stumbled down the stairs far enough to see Will’s face and make eye contact with him. Will didn’t cry much, but he teared up enough to make him wipe his eyes with his sleeve. Seeing this immediately caused Mike to rush over to his friend and wrap his arms around him. He held the back of Will’s head, holding him tightly. Will just sat there, sniffling a bit. “Will…can you tell me wh-“ Before Mike could even ask his full question, Will shook his head and cut him off, “No- it- it’s nothing.” 

Mike moves back and just sits down next to Will, sighing, “Fine. I won’t push you…” 

Will smiled, very weakly, and just tried to think of everything that has happened today. He came out to his brother and Mike’s mother, held Mike’s hand, and napped a bit with him. Well, not lying down, just sitting, but still, things seemed to go by fast today. It was…a bit scary. Things didn’t seem as bad as he thought it would be, but who knows what could happen. 

As Will started to think of the possibilities his hand twitched. Mike noticed it and placed his hand on it, along with leaning on Will, resting his head on the other boy’s. His cheeks felt warm, and earlier he just had the thought of doing this, but to be actually doing it, it felt really nice. He held Will’s hand, squeezing it softly occasionally. They didn’t say anything besides Will mumbling a, ‘Thank you’.

After a bit of silent thinking, they both opened their mouths and began to speak.

“You know, I-“

“Sometimes, I-“

They both looked at each other and cracked a small smile.

“No you can-“

“You go-“ 

They chuckled, still keeping their eyes locked on each other. ‘He’s beautiful.’ They both thought about the other. 

“Ok, you can go first.” Mike speaks again. Will nods, “Ok, then.”

Will sighs, “I…I guess sometimes I still struggle. Even if it’s been awhile since what happened with the Upside-down, my emotions are still really messed up. And you already know, but I talk to some people to help with my emotions…” He bites his lip a bit, “In terms of feelings, like, love, I haven’t really talked with others about it.” Mike’s face becomes slightly concerned.

“I know I said this earlier, but I don’t know how to feel. It was already a struggle before Upside-down stuff happened, but it got worse afterwards. When I think about it, I get a bit tense…which you obviously notice…and whenever I actually do talk to someone about it—it’s like a flood, everything just pours out.” Will rubs his arm nervously, “Sorry, I don’t know if I’m even making any sense…”

Mike puts a hand on Will’s back, rubbing it, “No, no, don’t worry. I get it. Things will get better though, I promise. I’ll even be with you every step of the way until you’re ok.” 

“Ha, thanks, Mike.”

Mike’s attention is brought down to the papers on the table in front of them, multiple papers with some sort of color on each one, “You drew all of these?” Will nods. “You’re…you’re really cool, you know that? I’m glad I know you.” 

Saying that made Mike feel butterflies in his stomach. 

“Oh-“ Will started, “what were you going to say?” Mike tilts his head, looking at him in confusion. “You know, when I cut you off.” 

Mike blinks, “Right- I, uh- it…was nothing.” It would’ve been pointless to tell Will about his feelings anyways. That’s just rushing everything. He wasn’t even supposed to figure out that Will liked him back. 

Will nudged the taller boy, “Aw, I tell you all of that, but you won’t say anything?” He teased. Mike let out a short laugh.

Suddenly, the lights flickered. Though everything seemed to be calm, that small flicker startled Will enough that he gasped and tightly gripped Mike’s arm, shutting his eyes. Will’s reaction is what surprised Mike. He could feel his heart drop, seeing Will completely scared like this was horrible. 

As if the lights wasn’t enough to scare Will, the basement door opens and a loud, “Hey!” comes from upstairs, probably from Mike’s mother. Will holds on Mike more, moving closer and pulling hard enough on his sleeve that it came off of Mike’s shoulder a bit. 

Mike just looked up at the stairs and yelled back, “What?!” 

“Will’s mother called! She wanted to see if Will possibly wanted to come back home!” 

Mike glanced at Will for a second, then furrowed his eyebrows, “No! Let him stay! In my room!” 

There was a bit of silence before his mother groaned, “Alright, fine!” And the door shut. 

Will’s soft breathing could be felt on Mike’s shoulder, making him shiver, “Will?” The smaller boy opens his eyes and quickly moves back, embarrassed, “S-sorry…I told you, I’m not over what happened…I didn’t mean to overreact like that though.” 

“It’s ok, really. I know it’s hard for you,” Mike got up from the couch and stretched a bit, “You wanna go to my room now?” 

Will gulps before saying, “Ok.” He grabs his bag, along with his drawing then follows Mike as they go up the stairs. 

Mike’s mother stands in the kitchen, most likely talking to Will’s mother. Mike’s father lays asleep on the couch in the living room. 

The two continue and eventually make it to Mike’s room. Before entering, Mike says, “I’m going to use the bathroom really quickly, you can use it after me.” 

Will nods and heads inside Mike’s room, placing his bag on the floor and sitting down next to it. He looked around the room, observing all of the decorations Mike had put up. There were posters, toys, and other various items. He was a bit jealous, he wanted a lot of things too, but he knew his family was struggling financially and it wasn’t something he could really fix. 

He shrugged, deciding to just take out all of the papers in his bag. There were more than he remembered, but it didn’t bother him. He goes through the drawings, looking at each one and seeing if there were any mistakes. Of course, there were, like a leg or arm being a bit too long, or the colors were off. 

He was almost done looking through all of them until Mike walked in. 

“That was fast.” Will commented, grabbing a toothbrush out of his bag. He placed down the drawings and stood up. “I know. I guess I didn’t feel like admiring myself in the mirror today.” Mike joked. Will laughed and passed him as he walked to the bathroom. 

Once he made it the bathroom, and the lights were already on, he just closed the door and turned the sink on. He stood there silently, staring at his reflection, the somewhat calming sound of water pouring out of the faucet filling the bathroom. 

Will shook his head, snapping back to reality. He picked up the small tube of toothpaste by the sink and opened it, putting a bit of the paste on his brush. As he brushed, he sort of leaned in to the mirror, sort of in a trance as bubbles formed at his teeth from the toothpaste. 

It seemed a bit disturbing for some reason and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Eventually, he spat into the sink and cleaned his mouth and face with water.

He finally walked out, turning off the lights. He moved somewhat quickly to Mike’s room and opened the door with an unexpected amount of force. 

There, Mike was sitting on the bed, holding Will’s drawings. He tried to see which drawing it was, and it didn’t look like one he saw while he was on the floor. He didn’t draw it today, either. Will tried to get a glimpse of Mike’s face, which seemed to be flushed yet confused at the same time.

Then Will recognized it. It was Mike and him at the Snowball, dancing. Dancing the way Mike and Eleven were. The entire page was colored, detailed as much as it could be. Will gasped softly, causing Mike to look up and gasp as well. He flipped over the paper, trying to hide it, “H-hey, Will-“ 

“Those are mine, aren’t t-they…?” Will questioned. 

Mike slowly flipped the drawing again, glancing at it, then looked back at Will, “Y-yeah…and…this is me at the Snowball, except I’m not with Eleven…I’m with you.” Will squeezed his toothbrush in his hand. “Do you…not like her? And… did you want to replace her…?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the way I ended it wasn't too weird. Also I hope the summary wasn't super misleading. 
> 
> In this chapter I sort of hinted at something I plan on making, another fic. There will probably not be a lot of fluff, heck, there might not be any at all. It's mostly going to be post-second season and based solely around Will having some sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I'll have to do a bit of research on it before then though. Also, yeah, I know, I make Will deal with some emotions as an after effect, but I plan on making it worse in my other fic. I enjoy making my favorites happy, but for whatever reason, I like making them suffer too. I'm not the only one, right? Right??
> 
> Oh my goodness, thank you L for making me realize my mistake. I have no idea where Post Traumatic Drama Syndrome came from. I think it was something I heard about in the past and my mind just completely mashed those two together.


	7. In His Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Mike don't ever want to lose each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the cheesy titles and summaries, but it's the best I can come up with! Hope you enjoy this last chapter!

Will managed to give Mike a crooked smile, still completely nervous and unsure of what to do or say. It was horrible, so many personal things were just spilling out of him today and he was pretty sure he had experienced almost every human emotion possible.

He felt confident in whatever excuse he had, but as he began to speak it was just a mess, “W-w-well- I-” Will pursed his lips shut in embarrassment. 

Mike looked angry, angry enough to make Will fear for the worst as he stood up and walked over to Will. 

Will’s first instinct was to look down and cower away, but Mike just wrapped one arm around his friend and pulled him towards the foot of his bed. He sat next to him, holding him close and keeping the drawing up in front of them for both to see, “Will, it’s ok,” Mike smiled softly, “I just want to know, that’s all.” 

Mike may have seemed calm, but he was worried as to what Will was thinking. He hoped it wasn’t as bad as he might think. And it doesn’t help that Will continues to stay silent, bringing his knees up to his chest. 

Will worries himself, being jealous of Eleven is just so stupid of him. Mike would agree. He feared the ending of it because, ‘If you can’t deal with El, then I can’t deal with you’, is what he heard Mike’s voice saying in his head, “I-I-” Will started again, instantly getting Mike’s attention, “I messed up, I’m so s-sorry-” 

Mike looked almost offended and cut Will off, “You’re amazing Will, you’ve done nothing wrong.” 

“B-but…” Will’s eyes became glassy.

“Will, you’re a great fr-” 

“No- I’m just someone who gets in the way of people’s relationships, how could that be great?” Will outbursts. A tear falls down his cheek.

“What? Will? How…” Mike squeezes Will’s shoulder.

The smaller boy just buries his face in his knees, “I-I’m sorry...I don’t know how to control myself…y-you’re the one thing that makes me happy- a-and I don’t want to lose you...to El…” 

Mike feels his heart become heavy, not realizing this is how Will felt. He put one hand behind Will’s head and briefly kissed the top of his head, making both of them heat up, “Will- you...El means a lot to me and I wouldn’t want to lose her, but in all honesty, you mean a lot more to me, Will...I would never want to lose you either…” Will peeks up, looking at Mike, “It’s ok to be jealous, Will. We’re human.” 

Will nods, “I-I guess...thank you, Mike...I- you’re a really great friend and I’m h-happy I know you. You always look out for your friends, and I like that about you.” 

The taller boy chuckles, “Is this a confession?” A smirk appears on his face. Will coughs, “N-no! Plus, didn’t you technically just confess to me too?” 

Mike’s expression turns soft, “Maybe.” Will laughs. He’s glad Mike can make the best of any situation, no matter what. 

They both look at each other, grinning, observing each other’s faces. Mike began to lean down, and Will tilted his face up expectantly. 

Suddenly, a loud door slam is heard, making the two whip their heads towards the bedroom door. From downstairs, you can hear the angry voices of Nancy and Mike’s mother. 

Mike snorts, looking down at his wrist to check the time. It was already 9pm. Though it was getting late, he would think that they would be too awake to sleep because of their little nap from earlier. 

Proving him wrong, Will yawns. 

“Tired?” Mike asks. “Yeah--where will I be sleeping?” Will rubs his eyes, which made Mike smile. 

Mike moves Will, putting him against Mike’s chest and between his legs. He wrapped his arms around Will, tilting his head enough to see his expression, “Right here.” 

Will’s face is beaming, “O-oh-” He exhales, smiling contently. He looks down at the ground, his eyelids drooping. The warmth of Mike was actually somewhat lulling. 

At some point, Will fell asleep. Mike pulled a blanket off of his bed, wrapping around the both of them and decided it would be best to just pass out for now too. 

About an hour later, Mike wakes up, his dream was strange. It wasn’t exactly scary, just concerning. He was in a large empty room and he spotted Will with someone who looked almost like him. It was odd. He tried to call out, but they just walked away. Of course, dreams never let you run away or catch up. 

He feels warmth but soon remembers that Will was still in his arms. He smiles at the sight. He decides the floor isn’t too comfortable after all and very carefully pulls both of them up onto the bed.

Letting Will’s head rest on a pillow, Mike moves next to him, lying on his side and supporting his head with his arm. He just looked at the smaller boy’s face, blushing a bit at his cute features. Soft hair, somewhat long eyelashes, and...his lips.

Mike had kissed Will a few times on the forehead without trouble, but the thought of kissing him on the lips made his freckled cheeks turn red. 

He takes a deep breath and hesitates. He hovers over Will before slowly leaning down and kissing just a half of Will’s lips. Mike’s heart is pounding in his chest, even if it wasn’t a full kiss. 

“Mi...ke…” Will mumbles in his sleep, making Mike quickly turn away and burn up. His body almost jumps when he feels a small arm wrap around his torso. Will moves up against him, nuzzling his face into Mike’s back comfortably. Mike grins, and doesn’t ever want to move. 

Mike’s eyes flutter shut, drifting back to sleep calmly, knowing that they wouldn’t lose each other ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done! I hope this wasn't too bad! I'll be making more fics, and at the moment I have a group chat fic, read that if you can. Thank you for reading this!


End file.
